It didn’t take Dylan Larkin long to make a statement for the Detroit Red Wings fans in his season debut following a tumultuous summer.
Larkin could have folded. So many players in pro sports would have. He also could have flat-out refused to play for the Red Wings and turned the situation into something reminiscent of what Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets are going through. He also could have skated onto the ice on Tuesday night and performed poorly.
Instead, the Red Wings ex-captain scored the go-ahead goal in Detroit’s 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators to notch their first victory of the season. The goal occurred at the 13:14 mark of the first period when Alex DeBrincat recovered the puck during a sequence and found Viktor Arvidsson down low in No Man’s Land.
Larkin drifted in front of the net, right in front of Ottawa goaltender Samuel Ersson and behind both Ottawa defenders. Arvidsson fed Larkin the puck, then Larkin spun around and drilled it home.
Dylan Larkin Scored And Landed An Assist In Win Over Senators
Early in the second period, Larkin returned the favor, providing the primary assist for Arvidsson to put Detroit up 3-1. It came on the power play, starting when Lucas Raymond fired the puck at Larkin from the top of the right circle.
Larkin drilled the puck into Ersson, which rebounded right onto Arvidsson’s stick. Arvidsson fired a nasty snap shot into the net to give the Red Wings a 3-1 lead. Ersson and an Ottawa player could only watch as Arvidsson’s puck found twine.
Arvidsson’s goal was the first of two that the Wings would land on the power play, which was in dire need of a strong evening. While one can argue that the second power-play goal (scored by Alex DeBrincat) was an empty-netter, why spoil the fun? Detroit came alive offensively in Larkin’s first game back.
Larkin’s Accolades Earned Him The First Star Of The Night Award
To put icing on the cake, Larkin’s two points gave him the nod over DeBrincat (two goals, one assist) and Arvidsson (one goal, one assist) for the game’s First Star. While Larkin’s presence with the Red Wings will certainly be polarizing, given all the trade talk still surrounding him, it’s hard to deny that he made an impact.
It opens a massive box of questions. If the Red Wings, who were flat for most of their first five periods of the season, get consistent with Larkin, then what? Do you still trade him? Or do you keep him around and try to repair the relationship?
These are just a few questions everyone may be asking going forward as the Red Wings look to keep pace in what will be a tough Atlantic Division. For now, and on Tuesday night, Larkin scored a goal, assisted on another, and ultimately stole the show.
For a player whose trade request went public with ensuing backlash, going out and playing that well would be tough for even the best players. But Larkin is 1-for-1. We will see if it turns into a trend in the upcoming games as the Red Wings resume play on Friday vs. the Seattle Kraken.
Dylan Larkin Steals Show in Red Wings Season Debut